Mountain View Voice

Santa's helpers

SANTA'S BEEN all over these past few days, but few of his visits were as uplifting as his helicopter trip to Moffett Field on Saturday, Dec. 15. Daniel DeBolt was there, and filed this report:

Santa Claus landed in a shiny blue police helicopter at Moffett Field to the delight of dozens of children, as Hangar 211 was temporarily transformed into the North Pole.

The event was organized by the Cops Care Cancer Foundation, and most of the 116 children who gathered Saturday have cancer. This may be the last Christmas for many of them, said CCCF founder Brian Simuro, a San Jose police officer and cancer survivor who for the past three years has organized these Moffett events.

There were bounce houses, face painting and free gifts for the children and their siblings. "From the moment you walk in the door, everything is for them," said Teresa Camarillo, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis, another terminal childhood illness addressed by CCCF.

Camarillo's daughter must take 40 pills, four breathing treatments and numerous other medicines every day. But she said special events like this one — and her daughter's ability to cope with the illness — have allowed the family to live without it controlling their lives.

Cops Care provides financial aid to families year-round to help them pay rent and other expenses. The foundation has grown to the point that other organizations have started referring families to them, Simuro said. Over 500 police officers in Santa Clara County have donations regularly taken out of their paychecks for CCCF, and Simuro hopes to expand the program

To donate, visit www.copscarecancerfoundation.org.

This story contains 267 words.

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